Subsequently on Wednesday, February 4, 2015, Williams apologized for misremembering and conflating events in his mind as he tried to recall circumstances from 12 years previously.

On Tuesday, February 10, NBC News President Deborah Turness said,

“While on Nightly News on Friday, January 30, 2015, Brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003. It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues. This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian’s position. As Managing Editor and anchor of Nightly News, Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times….We believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action.”
(From Brian Williams suspended for six months, USA Today, Feb 10, 2015.)

How Should Christians Respond?

Everyone of us has lied at least once in our life and probably many times for most of us. We just have not been caught so publicly as Mr. Williams. If he acknowledges his misstatements or falsehoods, we should be willing to forgive him and give him a second chance.

Nevertheless, I am very glad to see NBC uphold Truth as a vital value, even though I think it’s somewhat hypocritical. NBC has covered and promoted lying liberals for years with little criticism and precious few if any attempts to hold them to a standard of truth. Yet they feel their anchor must tell the truth.

The six-month suspension without pay is suitable discipline. I would restore him to his job when the suspension is completed.

How Does This Relate to the Resurrection of Jesus?

I think this Williams incident illustrates the credibility of the Resurrection accounts.

Williams’ fairly innocuous, relatively meaningless lie could not stand up to public scrutiny. Eyewitnesses came forward to dispute and disprove Williams’ account.

The apostles’ claim that Jesus had been raised from the dead was a far greater and much more significant claim than that of Williams. Yet there is no record of anybody disputing or disproving the claim.

Why was the soldier-guarded tomb empty? All that was needed to falsify the Resurrection claim was to produce the body. Where was the body?

The Resurrection of Jesus has withstood the most intense scrutiny of any historical claim. The Jewish leaders of the time would dearly loved to have been able to shut up the apostles by disproving the Resurrection through producing the body. They could not do so. All they could do was try to silence the apostles through threats. Over the ensuing 2000 years, innumerable people have sought to disprove or explain away the Resurrection without success.

The Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles in the New Testament are our best historical sources on the Resurrection. They document eyewitness accounts of what happened. They are reports by men who paid with severe persecution and eventually with their lives for their insistent testimony to the Resurrection.

The apostles claimed they saw the body from the tomb in the resurrected Jesus. The Apostle Paul reports that over 500 people, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote, saw Jesus simultaneously (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Far fewer than 500 people were available to correct Brian Williams’ account, and yet it was caught and corrected.

Jesus’ grave was public knowledge and guarded by a cadre of Roman soldiers. All that was necessary to disprove Resurrection claims was to produce the body. Nobody produced the body, because they could not.

Empty grave clothes left in the tomb show that the body was not stolen (John 20:5-7). No grave robber would have taken the time and effort to unwrap the body, leave the grave clothes, and carry off the bare body. The body would be easier to carry away if it were still wrapped in grave clothes.

The disciples would not have declared and died for Resurrection claims that were so easily falsifiable, unless they knew Jesus rose from the dead.

Scripture records over 500 people seeing Jesus alive on at least 10 different occasions within weeks after He had been buried in a sealed tomb for three days and three nights. Matthew, Mark, John, Peter and Paul recorded testimony to the Resurrection as eyewitnesses. Investigative reporter Luke documented his research findings.

I believe the disciples. The empty tomb and discarded grave clothes thunder, “Resurrection.”

Questions to Ponder

Have you ever been publicly exposed in a lie? How embarrassing was it?

Is it harder to forgive Brian Williams or a close confidant who lied to you?

How do you explain the Resurrection? Did it happen as the Gospels report, or do you have some other explanation?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

Does It Matter?

Does it matter whether the Exodus plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea were real historical events or simply inspiring stories about events that never actually happened?

Does it matter whether the Biblical accounts of Creation, Adam’s Sin, Noah’s Flood, Tower of Babel, Virgin Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection are historically true or are only intriguing stories to encourage mankind?

Does it matter whether physical evidence can be found to back up the Bible’s report of these events?

The answer to these three questions is both Yes and No.

Yes, It Does Matter

Yes, it does matter that events reported in Scripture actually occurred, no matter how many scholars state otherwise.

American Rabbi David Wolpe is the Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, CA, the largest Jewish congregation in the world. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 Newsweek Magazine named David Wolpe one of the fifty most important Rabbis in America. In 2012 Newsweek named him the most influential Rabbi in America. In the same year the Jerusalem Post listed him as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

But Rabbi Wolpe does not believe the Exodus happened as the Torah describes. In the film, to explain his observance of Passover despite not believing in the Exodus, he said,

“Things that aren’t facts can be truths.”

Wolpe is saying that the Exodus never happened, but it doesn’t matter because the spiritual meaning of the “Exodus story” is what is important.

But it does matter! How can a spiritual truth be based on a lie? Judaism and Christianity are based on historical events that really happened. If they did not happen, the two faiths are worthless. Disbelief in the Exodus account undermines the Passover which pointed to the redemption from sin accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. It undermines the New Testament Epistles which explain the meaning of Christ’s redemptive work. Exodus denial undermines the basic message of the Old and New Testaments.

Jewish talk-show host and film panelist Dennis Prager disagreed with all the anti-Exodus rabbis and scholars. He said, “I think it does matter if the Jews were slaves in Egypt and whether the Exodus took place.” Prager believes actual historical events comprise the essential foundation of Judaism and Christianity.

It absolutely does matter whether Old Testament events actually occurred. The theology and message of the Bible is grounded on historical events that actually happened. For example, if Adam’s Sin was not a historical event, then most of the Bible is meaningless. What do we need to be saved from if Adam did not sin?

The Apostle Paul said that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then faith is worthless, and believers are still in their sins (1 Corinthians 15:14-19). The hope of the Christian is grounded on the historical fact of the Resurrection.

If the events did not occur as the Bible reports, then the Bible is full of lies and cannot be trusted for anything.

No, It Does Not Matter

No, it does not matter whether physical evidence can be found to back up the Bible’s report of events.

The truth of the Bible does not depend on external supportive evidence. Just because evidence of an event cannot be found, does not mean the event did not happen. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Many historical events that we know about only through written records have left no archaeological trace.

However, I think filmmaker Tim Mahoney is right to look for evidence of Exodus-connected events. These six major events connected with the Exodus1.Arrival of Joseph & Jacob’s family in Egypt2.Multiplication of Hebrews into a nation in Egypt3. Hebrew Enslavement in Egypt4.Ten Plagues on Egypt5.Exodus from Egypt6.Conquest of Canaan by the Israelites
were impactful enough to potentially leave a footprint of physical evidence that is still discernible by archaeologists today. Thus it’s not surprising that Mahoney found evidence of these events that he presents in his film. His evidence simply corroborates the most important evidence of the events which is the Biblical record itself.

Finding external supportive evidence of the Bible’s historical accounts can be a big encouragement to Christians, and it occasionally may influence skeptics. Biblical archaeology is very interesting, rewarding, and helpful, but it is not necessary. Archaeology can only confirm a tiny percentage of the events of the past. That does not mean that events without archaeological support did not happen.

Instead of using archaeological evidence to evaluate the Bible, one should use the Bible to interpret the evidence. All evidence has to be interpreted. The correct approach is to base one’s thinking on the unchanging Word of God, rather than base one’s thinking on the ever changing results of man’s research, no matter what the field – archaeology, philosophy, or science. (1 Peter 1:24-25)

How to See the Documentary

I strongly encourage viewing the Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary. It has been shown twice so far this year in theaters on January 19 & 29. If there are subsequent theater showings, they will be announced at Fathom Events. Also many churches will likely show the DVD eventually. While the film probably will not convince any skeptics, it will be a huge encouragement to Christians. The book, movie DVD, and soundtrack are all available for pre-order at the documentary web site: Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.

Questions to Ponder

Does it matter whether the Exodus actually occurred as described in the Bible? What do you think?

If you saw the film, what was your reaction?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
(Hebrews 11:23-29)

What Did Jesus Think?

The best evidence that the Exodus event actually happened is Moses’ eyewitness report in the second book of the Bible called Exodus.

How did Jesus of Nazareth view Moses’ account? Did He think it was factual history or a legend?

Jesus believed in the Exodus and endorsed Moses’ report. In fact, He equated believing Moses’ written record with believing His own words:

“Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:45-47)

Jesus startled hearers by stating that heeding Moses and the Prophets was sufficient to keep the rich man’s brothers out of hell. Jesus affirmed Moses and the Prophets as having greater credibility and being more convincing than a witness who came back from the dead. (Luke 16:29-31)

Filmmaker Tim Mahoney in Karnak, Egypt

Jesus actively demonstrated His own belief in Exodus through His yearly observance of Passover reported in the Gospels.

The Passover Feast was explicitly commanded by God as an annual re-enactment and remembrance of the night the Death Angel passed over Hebrew homes that were marked with lambs’ blood. This was the Tenth Plague right before the Hebrews exited Egypt. There would be no reason for the institution of the Passover Feast apart from this historical event.

Tangible details further distinguish the historical nature of the report in Exodus 11 & 12—such as the instruction to ask one’s neighbor for silver and gold, the note that it happened at midnight, and the 10th of the month as a literal date.

Passover is anchored in real events that actually occurred. Moses goes to the length of explicitly prescribing dialogue with questioning children:And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’ (‭Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭26-27‬)
To answer instead, “It is an ancient legend precious to our self-concept as a Jewish people,” is profane and rebellious.

God Himself explicitly established a direct link between His visible action in concrete historical events and His sovereign Lordship:Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.“ (‭Exodus‬ ‭10‬:‭1-2‬)
To say “These things didn’t really happen” is to profoundly insult the Almighty.

Why instruct the Jews to remember the Exodus so elaborately if the Exodus never happened? In fact, a person who did not observe the Passover was to “be cut off from his people” (Numbers 9:13).

Following the Exodus, the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness. After they miraculously crossed the Jordan River to begin the conquest of Canaan, God again instituted a physical mechanism to remember this miraculous historical event:Now it came about when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.'” So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:1-7)

Throughout their generations Yahweh wanted the Israelites to remember that this miraculous crossing of the Jordan River was a real historical event that actually happened. It was not a legend or fable. He commanded a stone monument of 12 fairly large stones (“each of you take up a stone on his shoulder“) as a memorial. Joshua reports this as history, and the stone monument testified to this event for generations.

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Joshua 4:19-24)

It’s not at all surprising that Jesus believed in the Exodus. It follows logically and inevitably from the writings of Moses and Joshua and from the way Jesus treated the Old Testament as the Word of God (“Scripture cannot be broken” John 10:35). In fact, it’s incomprehensible even to speculate that Jesus did not believe in the Exodus.

The genealogy of Jesus also provides implicit support for the Israelite conquest of Canaan following the Exodus. If Jericho had not been conquered, there is no reason that Rahab would appear as the great-great-grandmother of King David in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5-6).

Jesus based much of His teaching on historical events in the Old Testament, both great and small. He referenced Creation, Noah’s Flood, Sodom & Gomorrah, Jonah’s great fish adventure, David’s eating the Temple bread, the Canaanite woman feeding Elijah, the murders of Abel and Zechariah, and others.

Jesus also referred to many events of Mosaic history which happened on the 40-year camping trip from Egypt to the Promised Land. This included the Law of Moses which was given at Mt. Sinai shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. If there were no Exodus, then there would have been no wilderness journey, and hence all Jesus’ references would have been vacuous. Here are some examples of Jesus’ references:1. Jesus commanded a leper He healed to “show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded” (Matthew 8:4).2. In talking with Nicodemus about His identity and mission, Jesus used the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness on the way from Egypt to Canaan as an illustration of His own redemptive death on the cross. Jesus said,
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)
Using the “As … even so” formula, Jesus equated the fact of His redemptive work with the historical truth of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. If the Exodus were a myth, then Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness would be a myth, and Jesus’ argument would be meaningless.3. Jesus actually talked with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matthew 17:2-4)4. Jesus quoted from Moses in the book of Exodus to defend the resurrection and afterlife: “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.” (Mark 12:26-27)5. Jesus answered questions about marriage and divorce by quoting Moses. (Matthew 19:3-9)6. Jesus charged the Jewish leaders with using men’s traditions to invalidate God’s commands given through Moses. (Mark 7:8-13)7. Jesus referred to the Israelites receiving manna from heaven through Moses in the wilderness. (John 6:30-33)8. Jesus credited Moses with giving the Israelites the Law and the rite of circumcision. (John 7:19-23)9. On the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection, Jesus explained to two disciples the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures beginning with Moses: “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44)

These references by Jesus to events connected with the Exodus make no sense unless Jesus believed they were historically factual. Since Jesus believed in the Exodus, it is incumbent upon His followers to do so also, regardless of the vicissitudes of interpretations of archaeological discoveries.

How to See the Documentary

I strongly encourage viewing the Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary. It has been shown twice so far this year in theaters on January 19 & 29. If there are subsequent theater showings, they will be announced at Fathom Events. Also many churches will likely show the DVD eventually. While the film probably will not convince any skeptics, it will be a huge encouragement to Christians. The book, movie DVD, and soundtrack are all available for pre-order at the documentary web site: Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.

Questions to Ponder

Do you think it is correct to say that Jesus believed in the Exodus?

Does Jesus’ opinion on the Exodus matter to you?

If you saw the film, what was your reaction to it?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
(Hebrews 11:23-29)

Is the Exodus from Egypt a myth or is it the truth? Is there physical evidence in the dirt that corroborates the Bible’s account?

An outstanding documentary, Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, presents abundant evidence to dispute the consensus of opinion among archaeologists that the Exodus never happened.

Author and filmmaker Timothy Mahoney features over a dozen archaeologists and professors with expertise in Egyptian and Israeli archaeology. These experts represent both sides of the Exodus issue: those who believe it did not happen and those who believe it did. The in-depth interviews with some of the world’s top experts in the fields of Archaeology, Egyptology, and Biblical History are a key feature of the film.

The totality of the evidence Mahoney gathers is weighty and impressive. In summary, he effectively presents archaeological indications and evidence of Joseph in Egypt and of a Semitic population mushrooming in the Nile delta. This Semitic group experiences slavery and hardship, then departs suddenly and reappears later in Canaan as a populous nation called “Israel” which proceeds with a military conquest of Canaan. This sequence fits the Biblical record very well.

The Debate

Filmmaker Mahoney presents compelling evidence. But most archaeologists ignore these findings, because they do not fit their own preconceived timeline. The movie argues that the reason archaeologists haven’t recognized any evidence of the Exodus is that they are looking in the wrong time period. Patterns of Evidence: Exodus builds a strong case that the Exodus actually happened around 1450 BC, just as the Bible’s timeline indicates, instead of around 1250 BC as most archaeologists assume.

Will Exodus skeptics watch this film, smack their forehead, and exclaim,
“Duh! We sure missed the boat on the Exodus!“?

Not a chance! Most of the scholars who were interviewed pooh-poohed Mahoney’s findings.

Denying Historical Validity

Israel Finkelstein is one of Israel’s leading archaeologists and one of the experts interviewed in the film. He denies all evidence of the Exodus and Conquest of Canaan as he disputes most of the historical record of the Pentateuch and Joshua. In his book The Bible Unearthed, which would be more accurately titled The Bible Buried, Finkelstein says:

“The process we describe here is, in fact, the opposite of what we have in the Bible: the emergence of early Israel was an outcome of the collapse of the Canaanite culture, not its cause. And most of the Israelites did not come from outside Canaan – they emerged from within it. There was no mass Exodus from Egypt. There was no violent conquest of Canaan. Most of the people who formed early Israel were local people – the same people whom we see in the highlands throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. The early Israelites were – irony of ironies – themselves originally Canaanites!”
(Israel Finkelstein, The Bible Unearthed, Free Press, 2002, p. 118)

Ze’ev Herzog is a Tel Aviv University archaeologist who does not believe in the Exodus either. He wrote in Haaretz (Israel’s oldest daily newspaper):

“Following 70 years of intensive excavations in the Land of Israel, archaeologists have found out: The patriarchs’ acts are legendary, the Israelites did not sojourn in Egypt or make an exodus, they did not conquer the land. Neither is there any mention of the empire of David and Solomon, nor of the source of belief in the God of Israel. These facts have been known for years, but Israel is a stubborn people and nobody wants to hear about it.

This is what archaeologists have learned from their excavations in the Land of Israel: the Israelites were never in Egypt, did not wander in the desert, did not conquer the land in a military campaign and did not pass it on to the 12 tribes of Israel. Perhaps even harder to swallow is the fact that the united monarchy of David and Solomon, which is described by the Bible as a regional power, was at most a small tribal kingdom.”
(From Herzog, Deconstructing the Walls of Jericho, Haaretz, October 29, 1999)

Even prominent Jewish rabbis like the late Sherwin Wine adamantly deny the Exodus. Rabbi Wine, known as “the rabbi who doesn’t believe in God,” says in his book A Provocative People: A Secular History of the Jews,

“The Jews did not begin with Abraham….The Jews did not emerge as a nation under the leadership of Moses. They were never rescued from slavery in Egypt. They never stopped at Sinai.”
(Wine, A Provocative People: A Secular History of the Jews, International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, 2012, p. iii)

Speaking of the Biblical account from Abraham through the Exodus to the Conquest of Canaan, Rabbi Wine says in the same book,

“This is the biblical story of the origins of the Jewish people. Wherever Jews and Christians are to be found, this story is popular and familiar. It is so popular and so familiar that it has been incorporated into the patriotism and the holidays of the Jewish and Christian worlds. While the story may be familiar, charming and even inspirational, it suffers from a major problem. It is simply not true. There is no evidence—beyond the text of the Bible—that most of these events took place, or that most of these people really existed.”
(Wine, Prologue to A Provocative People: A Secular History of the Jews)

Mainstream archaeologists who accept the Exodus place it around 1250 BC under Ramses the Great, primarily because Exodus 1:11 says the Hebrew slaves built Ramses, a storage city for Pharoah. However, Ramses was a general name for the region used as far back as the time of Joseph (Genesis 47:11) — 400 years before the Exodus. So the Exodus 1:11 reference cannot be used to connect the time of the Exodus to Pharoah Ramses II anymore than the Genesis 47:11 reference connects Joseph to Pharoah Ramses.

Affirming Historical Validity

Egyptologist David Rohl is a prominent exception to the scholarly consensus denying the Exodus. Rohl is an agnostic who is not convinced of the existence of God, but he sees clear archaeological evidence of Joseph and the Hebrews in the ancient city of Avaris in the Nile Delta. Rohl says that Moses was the greatest of historians and that the Bible is the world’s first history book. He thinks mainstream archaeologists miss the evidence for the Exodus because they are looking in the wrong time period. In the film he presented archaeological evidence that corroborated the historical accounts of Moses and Joshua, as they report on the Hebrews’ time in Egypt, the Exodus, and the Israelite conquest of Canaan.

The Exodus is not the first Biblical event denied validity by scholars due to lack of evidence (before archaeologists later found corroborating evidence). Many scholars once denied the existence of King David because no archaeological evidence for him had been found. But in 1993 archaeologists found an inscription by King Hazael of Aram (Syria) referring to his victory over a member of “the house of David.”
(Menachem Wecker, Ancient rock adds evidence of King David’s existence, The Times of Israel, December 16, 2014.)

Another example is the Hittite nation which according to the Bible was once a mighty people in the days of Elisha (2 Kings 7:6). Yet liberal scholars were sure the Hittites never existed simply because archaeologists had found no physical evidence for them. But now numerous artifacts from the Hittite culture have been unearthed. The Hittite archives alone fill over 100 volumes of cuneiform records. The Hittite kingdom extended over most of what is Turkey and Syria today, and even into Europe.
(Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, Erdmans, 2003, p. 4.Unearthed Hittite Artifacts in Istanbul Break New Ground, Hurriyet Daily News, Istanbul, October 31, 2013.)

The Bible teaches a date for the Exodus that is in line with the evidence Mahoney and Rohl present in the documentary. According to 1 Kings 6:1,Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
Since Solomon’s reign began in 970 BC, this puts the Exodus at 1446 BC.

Near the end of the film, Mahoney summarized his case for revising Egyptian chronology:

“It’s startling to think how significant this could be because chronology, the dates assigned to these events, is the thing being used to convince the world that the Bible is just a fairy tale. But look at the pattern! Evidence matching Joseph and the early Israelites’ arrival in Egypt, their tremendous multiplication, their descent into slavery, the judgment and collapse of Egypt, the deliverance and Exodus of the Semitic population, and, finally, in Canaan, evidence matching the conquest of the Promised Land. I know there’s a lot of disagreement over the dating, but what strikes me is that if you put all the dates to the side for a moment, what emerges from the archaeology is this pattern that matches the Bible every step of the way–and doesn’t that deserve to be taken seriously? But for now, those who hold to established conventions will not allow these connections to be made.”

The Exodus-opposing scholars of the film are all well-aware of the evidence David Rohl discussed. Why didn’t these scholars see how it substantiated Scripture’s record? I believe the answer is that they have a different set of presuppositions, a different worldview that prevents them from recognizing the significance of the evidence. One’s philosophical starting point always determines one’s interpretation of evidence. In addition, the power of academic pressure is hard to resist, especially when careers, books, and scholarly publications are based on the conventional “1250 BC Exodus” interpretation.

Patterns of Evidence: Exodus makes a compelling case for the Exodus occurring about 1450 BC in contrast to the late date of 1250 BC that most archaeologists accept. The film will make the historicity of the Exodus a topic of interest among lay people. It will be an encouragement to many Christians as it presents evidence supporting the Biblical timeline.

We don’t need archaeological confirmation to know the Bible is true and historically factual. It is fully reliable as God’s inerrant Word. Jesus Himself said Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). Even viewed as an ancient manuscript, its own internal evidence of Divine authorship is outstanding. But where man’s discoveries do match up to Scripture’s eternal unchanging truth, it can help someone who is searching to take a few more steps in their journey toward faith.

Mahoney plans a second film on the Route of the Exodus and the Crossing of the Red Sea, as these aspects were not covered in the Exodus film.

How to See the Documentary

I strongly encourage viewing the Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary. If there are subsequent theater showings, they will be announced at http://www.fathomevents.com/. Also many churches will likely show the DVD eventually. While the film probably will not convince any skeptics, it will be a huge encouragement to Christians. The book, movie DVD, and soundtrack are all available for pre-order at the documentary web site: Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.

Questions to Ponder

What preconceived ideas do you have that prevent you from recognizing truth Yahweh has placed in your path?

Will you ask God to open your eyes to truth you might be missing?

If you saw the film, what was your reaction?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
(Hebrews 11:23-29)

Or are most archaeologists wrong when they say there is no evidence of an Egyptian sojourn and Exodus?

A recent documentary boldly confronts the general consensus of opinion among archaeologists, Egyptologists, and scholars that the Exodus as described in the Bible never happened. Most say if it did happen, then it occurred around 1250 BC under Ramses II (aka Ramses the Great), but they say there’s absolutely no archaeological evidence for it then.

This outstanding documentary, Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, presents abundant evidence to dispute this consensus of opinion. This film from Thinking Man Films chronicles 12 years of in-depth archaeological research in Egypt and Israel by author and filmmaker Timothy Mahoney. He interviews over a dozen archaeologists and professors with expertise in Egyptian and Israeli archaeology on both sides of the Exodus issue: those who believe it did not happen and those who believe it did.

This article continues the review of Patterns of Evidence: Exodus that was begun in the prequel 1. Patterns of Evidence: Exodus – Did It Happen? This second article looks at some of the film’s interesting archaeological evidence corroborating the Biblical accounts.

Here’s the 3’41” trailer for the movie:

The Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary asks the fundamental question:At any time during Egyptian history is there any physical evidence that the Exodus actually happened?

Mahoney organized his research into this question by six major events which he believed should have left some physical evidence that could be found by archaeologists:1.Arrival of Joseph & Jacob’s family in Egypt2.Multiplication of Hebrews into a nation in Egypt3. Hebrew Enslavement in Egypt4.Ten Plagues on Egypt5.Exodus from Egypt6.Conquest of Canaan by the Israelites

Mahoney presented multiple fascinating and convincing archaeological evidences for each of these events. They form a pattern in Egyptian history that matches the Biblical accounts in Genesis, Exodus and Joshua. But the pattern occurs hundreds of years before mainstream archaeologists think it should – much earlier in Egyptian history than 1250 BC.

These archaeologists discounted Mahoney’s evidence, because it did not fit their preconceived timeline. The movie argues that the reason archaeologists haven’t found any evidence is that they are looking in the wrong time period. Patterns of Evidence: Exodus builds a strong case that the Exodus actually happened around 1450 BC, just as the Bible’s timeline indicates.

Presumed Statue of Joseph Wearing multi-colored robe at Avaris

Evidence

In the ancient Egyptian city of Avaris (later renamed Ramses), excavation has uncovered what is thought to be Joseph’s palace and tomb with a twice-life-size statue of a Semite wearing a multi-colored robe. The tomb is empty — no bones! This matches the Biblical report that Moses honored Joseph’s dying request to take his bones back to the Promised Land when the Israelites left Egypt (Genesis 50:24-26; Exodus 13:19). Grave robbers take treasures from tombs but not old bones.

Was there ever a period of time in Egyptian history when an enormous transfer of wealth, land, and power from the Egyptian people to Pharaoh occurred? Archaeologists have found it as Bryant Wood reports at right, and the Bible records it happening as a result of Joseph’s famine policy:Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. And Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone.” Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. And when that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. “Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s. (Genesis 47:13-20)

The Brooklyn Papyrus is from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (hundreds of years before Ramses II, aka Ramses the Great). This document lists names of slaves, 70% of whom are Semitic with many straight out of the Bible.

There’s even evidence of the Plagues. In the Leiden Museum a papyrus titled Admonitions of an Egyptian Sage describes many of the plagues from the point of view of Ipuwer, an Egyptian eyewitness. When interviewed in the movie, museum curator Maarten Raven dismissed the papyrus as being too early to be a record of the Exodus plagues.

Three major excavations of Jericho match the Bible’s report. The 10-foot-thick wall surrounding the city fell down except for a small section on the north side which remained standing. This was probably Rahab’s house on the wall.
(Joshua 2:1-21; 6:17, 22-25)

The Berlin Pedestal inscription written by the son of Ramses the Great supports an early Conquest of Canaan. It has Israel already in Canaan 100 years before Pharaoh Ramses.

The documentary fascinates the viewer with ample additional evidence supporting each of the six major events listed above.

The totality of the evidence Mahoney marshals is weighty and impressive. In overview, he effectively presents archaeological indications and evidence of Joseph in Egypt and of a Semitic population mushrooming in the Nile delta. This Semitic group experiences slavery and hardship, then departs suddenly and reappears later in Canaan as a populous nation called “Israel” which proceeds with a military conquest of Canaan. This sequence fits the Biblical record very well.

The series of six major events connected to the Exodus with supporting archaeological evidence forms a significant pattern. It’s much more compelling than if the evidence were only of a single event. This intricate pattern could not be coincidence. It has to be the historical imprint of Israel’s history in Egypt, the Exodus, and the Conquest of Canaan.

Near the end of the film, Mahoney summarized his case for revising Egyptian chronology:

“It’s startling to think how significant this could be because chronology, the dates assigned to these events, is the thing being used to convince the world that the Bible is just a fairy tale. But look at the pattern! Evidence matching Joseph and the early Israelites’ arrival in Egypt, their tremendous multiplication, their descent into slavery, the judgment and collapse of Egypt, the deliverance and Exodus of the Semitic population, and, finally, in Canaan, evidence matching the conquest of the Promised Land. I know there’s a lot of disagreement over the dating but what strikes me is that if you put all the dates to the side for a moment what emerges from the archaeology is this pattern that matches the Bible every step of the way and doesn’t that deserve to be taken seriously? But for now, those who hold to established conventions will not allow these connections to be made.”

Patterns of Evidence: Exodus makes a compelling case for the Exodus occurring about 1450 BC in contrast to the late date of 1250 BC that most archaeologists accept. The film will make the historicity of the Exodus a topic of interest among lay people. It will be an encouragement to many Christians as it presents evidence supporting the Biblical timeline.

Encore Showing Thursday Jan 29

The overwhelming attendance nationwide for Patterns of Evidence: Exodus on Jan 19 and the subsequent demand for another showing has led to an encore showing to be scheduled and confirmed for Thu Jan 29 at 7 pm local time.

Tickets seem to cost around $12.50 depending on the theater. Many theaters nationwide sold out on Jan 19. I bought our tickets early to make sure we got in, and I suggest people consider doing so. As word spreads from the first showing, the attendance may increase for Jan 29.

I strongly encourage viewing this documentary. While it probably will not convince any skeptics, it will be a big encouragement to many Christians. The book, movie DVD, and soundtrack are all available for pre-order at the documentary web site: Patterns of Evidence: Exodus. Many churches will likely show the DVD eventually.

Questions to Ponder

If you saw the film, what was your reaction?

Do you think it’s possible for the vast majority of professional archaeologists and Egyptologists to be wrong about the Exodus?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
(Hebrews 11:23-29)

Are the jaw-dropping accounts in the Bible real history or only myths?

Does it matter whether accounts like the Exodus plagues and crossing the Red Sea are true records or simply inspiring stories that never actually happened?

Reports of Red Sea divers finding chariot wheels encrusted in coral intrigued filmmaker Timothy Mahoney. He was curious about where Moses and the Israelites might have crossed the Red Sea. He began his research by looking for the route of the Exodus, starting in Egypt where the Hebrews started.

Mahoney says, “When I got to Egypt, people said, ‘Wait a minute, why search for the route of the Exodus, when these stories never really happened in the first place?’ That was sort of the shocker. I went to the actual location where the Bible says the Israelites lived, and the archaeologists there said there really wasn’t any evidence for it. I came back to my home, and that seed of doubt sort of grew in me. So, eventually, I heard there was another Egyptologist that interpreted that information in a completely different way, and that began this 12-year journey of my own, finding people like that who have incredible insights into the information, and started to reveal evidence. That’s how it all got started.” (From Gallagher’s Mahoney Interview)

Mahoney wondered whether the Exodus really happened or whether it was only an uplifting story. He said, “What started out as a crisis of my own faith led me on an incredible journey of discovery” as he sought physical evidence to corroborate the Bible’s Exodus account.

Mahoney tells the story of his research journey in the award-winning documentary Patterns of Evidence: Exodus from Thinking Man Films. The documentary has won 13 awards at film festivals worldwide.

Executive producer David Wessner said of Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, “What we’ve done with this film is to present the evidence, as we’ve uncovered it over these past twelve years, and let viewers draw their own conclusions. It’s not a puffy documentary; it’s an entertaining presentation of a boat-load of scientific and historical facts which shed new, important light on this ancient but most important story.”

This feature documentary was shown in 650 theaters nationwide on Monday night January 19, 2015. A 20-minute preview explained the story behind the film and introduced the experts appearing in the documentary (click List of Experts).

The documentary Patterns of Evidence: Exodus chronicles 12 years of in-depth archaeological research in Egypt and Israel. Mahoney interviews over a dozen archaeologists and professors with expertise in Egyptian and Israeli archaeology on both sides of the Exodus issue: those who do not believe it happened and those who believe it did. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres are both interviewed in the film.

Among archaeologists, Egyptologists, and scholars, the general consensus of opinion is that the Exodus as described in the Bible never happened. Most say if it did happen, then it occurred around 1250 BC under Ramses the Great, but they say there’s absolutely no archaeological evidence for it then.

The Patterns of Evidence: Exodus documentary asked the fundamental question:At any time during Egyptian history is there any physical evidence that the Exodus actually happened?

The movie unfolds an abundant pattern of archaeological evidence from much earlier in Egyptian history than 1250 BC and not under Ramses the Great. The movie argues that the reason archaeologists haven’t found any evidence is that they are looking in the wrong time period. Patterns of Evidence: Exodus builds a strong case that the Exodus actually happened around 1450 BC, just as the Bible’s timeline indicates. The movie is packed with valuable apologetics arguments on this issue.

What Did I Think?

My wife and I saw this movie Monday night January 19. We loved it!!! Patterns of Evidence: Exodus presents abundant archaeological evidence to support the Bible’s historical record of the Exodus. I was impressed with the depth of the research, the balanced presentation, and the plethora of archaeological evidence revealing Israel’s footprint in Egyptian and Canaanite history. While I have always believed in the Exodus and have long believed it occurred in 1446 BC, the film presented corroborating evidence that was new to me (which I will discuss in subsequent blog articles).

The audio quality of the movie was superb. Interviews, commentary, and narration (by Jewish skeptic Michael Medved and Christian actor Kevin Sorbo who played the professor in the movie God’s Not Dead) were all clear and understandable, contrary to many movie soundtracks. The accompanying music was by the Budapest Film Orchestra using Hungary’s best musicians playing instruments from the Balkans and the Middle East. Visually the movie was beautiful and very effective in illustrating the concepts.

I rate the documentary 5 stars out of 5. I found it just as fascinating as Indiana Jones movies, but a person who is not interested in Biblical history and archaeology might find it less gripping.

I strongly encourage people to see this documentary. Many churches will likely show the DVD, and it will probably be shown in theaters again. The book, movie DVD, and soundtrack are all available for pre-order at the documentary web site: Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.

Subsequent blog articles will discuss more ideas from this outstanding documentary film.

Questions to Ponder

If you saw the film, what was your reaction?

Do you think it’s possible for the vast majority of professional archaeologists and Egyptologists to be wrong about the Exodus?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
(Hebrews 11:23-29)

Kepler is our 10-month-old Jack Russell terrier puppy named for the Biblical creationist, mathematician, and astronomer Johann Kepler (1571-1630) who discovered the three Laws of Planetary Motion.

While humans may consider eyes their most valuable sense organs, Kepler lives by his nose. He is continually waving it about to catch airborne scents or snuffling along the ground to enjoy an abundant cornucopia of odors.

Kepler will stop and be deeply interested in a spot on the ground where I can discern no apparent reason for his intense interest. Three different times on recent walks Kepler has stopped and dug beneath leaves to find a rawhide dog chew that he detected despite all the leaf mold smells.

Recently at a campground he started pulling toward a fire pit. In it was some fresh wood, charred wood, plenty of ashes, and an old wine box. But none of these smells stimulated Kepler’s jump into the pit. Underneath the wine box were two little wheat thins that he located and ate. From yards away in cold winter air he recognized the cracker scent as food he wanted, even though we don’t feed him crackers. He detected it despite many surrounding scents in the fire pit which did not interest him.

Kepler can even smell ice. Last week upon coming inside he bolted for a footstool and retrieved a recently-spilled ice cube from under it. He loves crunching ice chips as treats.

The human nose is an amazing organ even though it hardly compares with the sensitivity of a dog’s nose. The roof of the human nose contains 10 million scent receptors of 500-1,000 different types, detecting thousands of chemicals. Scent receptors are proteins folded to fit odor molecules of particular shapes. When odor molecules snap into receptors, olfactory nerves signal the brain.

Kepler investigates everything with his nose

For comparison, dogs average 220 million scent receptors. If the membranes in a dog’s nose were spread out, they would cover several king-size beds. Odors to dogs are like mathematics to people; they are the delight of their lives!

The sense of smell in dogs and people is very complex. A single odor may contain 1,000 different chemicals. A quick whiff generates activity throughout the brain. Strong emotional memories result because the nose is also connected to the brain’s limbic system which controls emotion.

Smell is essential for tasting food. Blocked noses yield tasteless food. As a child I applied this knowledge by pinching my nose shut whenever required to eat food I thought was horrible.

Trained perfumers can identify 10,000 different fragrances. To warn of natural gas leaks, a rotten egg smell is added. The nose can detect as little as one 400-billionth of a gram of this chemical in a quart of air.

Medical Alert Dogs for diabetes use their noses to detect the tiniest changes in body odor as insulin levels increase or decrease. Dogs trained in scent-based work alert parents, caregivers, or patients at the onset of blood sugar changes long before adverse reactions occur.

Dogs can smell the smallest changes in body chemistry. Scent-trained dogs can warn epileptics of coming seizures and bipolar people of their body chemistry going amok. Dogs can smell the minutest presence of an allergan like peanuts and warn highly allergic people.

Iron in the nose bone between the eyes makes the nose a compass. Experiments have shown some capability to determine direction by magnetic fields. Is this one of Adam’s original God-given abilities that has been mostly lost over six millennia of degeneration?

Bloodhounds are proverbial for tracking escapees. Dog noses of many breeds are invaluable in Search and Rescue operations.

The nose is a sophisticated multi-purpose air filter for the lungs. Nasal tissues trap foreign particles. The nose runs, bathing snared bacteria in dissolving chemicals. Sneezes eject larger particles at over 100 mph.

Who designed and engineered noses? Noses explode like a cannon, warn of danger, detect minute invisible chemicals, filter noxious elements, destroy germs, sense direction, generate pleasurable sensations, provoke powerful emotions, and give the breath-of-life? Who could even imagine, much less create, such a phenomenal multi-purpose tool?

I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14)

Praise be to our omnificent God.

Questions to Ponder

Which of your senses do you value most — sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch? Why?

Which sense most often tempts you to sin? How do you address this?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind? (Job 12:7-10)

While I was in the woods foraging for firewood at a campground, my wife took our dog Kepler up the road a ways. Shortly when I drove up in the camper, I saw Kepler tethered to a post, and I saw my wife inside a campground dumpster, waving me to a stop.

I was sure she had found something valuable, and I was right…a super-huge solid wood pallet filled the 6-foot width of the dumpster.

The pallet was 2 3/4 ft by 6 ft and very heavy. It took the two of us to lift it straight up and out of the dumpster, because there was no wiggle room.

Then the next project was getting my wife out of the dumpster!

Kepler & the Bible-Science Guy cutting up pallets for firewood at Ohio’s Indian Lake State Park in September 2014.

It’s easy to climb into a dumpster because of the footholds on the outside. It’s not easy climbing out of an almost empty 5-foot-tall dumpster. The inside dumpster walls are completely smooth so that when the dumpster is upended, the contents will slide out and not get hung up on the sides. But my wife is rather agile, and somehow, working together, we managed her rescue.

My wife knows I love pallets. I collect them and cut them up for campground firewood. For the most part, the pallets I rescue are made out of untreated hardwood, although a few are of softwood. They make great firewood because the pallet boards are dry and well-seasoned.

Standard pallet construction facilitates air getting to the burning boards, so pallets burn vigorously with especially good flames.

On the night we burned half of the dumpster pallet, our campfire earned eight honking-horn salutes from passing motorists.

Here is a picture of one of my pallet campfires at a state park campground.

I have built hundreds of fires over the years. Each one is different, and I take delight in every one.

With just a little coaxing from me, a tiny bright red coal and wood splinters burst into a roaring pallet fire. Watching the leaping flame makes me think about this warning from the Apostle James:

The tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. (James 3:5-10)

Bonfire Pallets

Having just watched the tiny red coal quickly grow into a roaring blaze, I well understood the Biblical illustration of how much damage a tongue can do very quickly.

This picture is of a huge pile of pallets ready for a town’s October bonfire. A little flame will eventually grow into a roaring blaze that will consume the entire mountain of pallets.

We take great care with fire, respecting its power and using it properly. In the same way we should be extremely careful with our tongues and use them for their intended purpose—to glorify God and to bless others.

Because my wife loves me, she invests herself into helping me look for pallets and loading them into the camper. You could say she throws herself into it. On a recent camping weekend, we picked up 13 pallets on the way out to burn at the campground. On the way back we snagged 19 more, but we had to leave an additional 13 at the warehouse because we had no more room. How painful that was!

The BibleScienceGuy inspects his collection of 31 firewood pallets before burning at a campground.

Two weekends later in late December we picked up 27 free pallets at a building supply warehouse on our way to a campground and then 14 more on the way home.

Here is a picture after we unloaded 31 pallets at the campground. Eight more remained in the camper, because I figured 31 pallets were enough firewood for one weekend. We need lots of firewood pallets to burn to stay warm on winter campouts in December when it stays in the 20s.

Before I even started the fire, this pile of 31 pallets earned two horn salutes from passing cars.

Once I got the fire roaring, it earned 9 more horn salutes. The next night the pallet campfire got 11 horn salutes and the next night 10. We even got a shout out from a boat bedecked with Christmas lights and playing Christmas music over a loudspeaker, as it cruised up and down the St. Clair River. The pilot called out over the loudspeaker, “Your bonfire is better than Christmas lights!”

Pallet Cache

I’ve noticed that pickup trucks give more horn salutes than other vehicles, and men salute fires far more than women do.

Here are 38 pallets which is only half of my home-cache of pallets for camping firewood. We are ready for spring campfires! We’ll probably start camping again in March before it gets too warm to fully enjoy campground bonfires.

Now not every wife would climb into a dumpster for a pallet, but mine would! Because she loves me. I’m very thankful for a wife who is wholehearted and diligent about the Bible’s commands to follow her husband.

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. … Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.
(Ephesians 5:22-24, 33)

I’m grateful for my wife’s joyful enthusiasm and greatly appreciate the absence of passive-aggressive resistance in hunting and collecting pallets. Pallet-hunting is not something to which women are naturally inclined, so her cooperative participation is especially meaningful.

Questions to Ponder

What loving choice will you make to come alongside your spouse in pursuing something that interests him or her?

What salvage items do you like to re-purpose (like using discarded pallets for campfires)?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

Like this:

It’s the last day of the year, and this is the last blog post of the year. I hope that theBible-Science Guy Blog has informed, challenged, and perhaps even stirred you in 2014. Here are some of the year’s blog highlights.

In 2014, 33,898 distinct readers from 168 countries eagerly viewed this blog 53,961 times. This is a 70% increase in distinct readers and a 51% increase in views over 2013. And that does not count all the blog subscribers who read the blog posts by email. This year the blog followers have increased by over 200 to reach 1370 blog followers at year’s end.

The Bible-Science Guy Blog started in October 2007. It now comprises 360 posts, 87 newspaper articles, and 10 tab pages for a total of 457 items. During 2014, 446 of these items were viewed at least once.

The busiest viewership day of the year was April 16 with 342 views. The most popular post that day was No Luck At All. Surprisingly, this article was not posted in 2014 but in April 2012, two years previously.

It’s interesting that the three articles that had the most views during 2014 were published in prior years. This illustrates the continuing relevance that most of the Bible-Science Guy blog articles have.

Best Bible-Science Guy Articles from 2014

Here are my choices for the best Bible-Science Guy Blog posts from 2014, listed in order of publication date. I chose the posts I liked best — the ones I found most interesting, most important, or best written. I included those that accumulated the most views or stimulated the most comments.

God’s Not Dead, the Movie (Mar 26) With videos.
Review of a movie drama about persecution of Christian faith at college. It’s the story of a college freshman defending his faith when bullied by his atheist philosophy professor. This was the most viewed 2014 article with 2,798 reads.

Noah, the Movie (Apr 2) With videos.
This controversial film focused fresh public attention on the Biblical account of Noah and the Flood. This review of the movie discusses Nine Positives and Nine Negatives about it. I rated the movie only 2 stars out of 5, due primarily to its severe distortion of the Genesis account. This was the 3rd-most viewed 2014 article with 1,398 reads.

The Truth About Noah (Apr 9)
This probes the Genesis account of Noah to set the record straight after the extreme distortions of the NOAH movie.

Evolutionists Going After Children (May 21) With video.
Evolutionists demand the teaching of evolution to children as young as five, because they say the teen years are too late. It’s imperative for Christian parents to intentionally and systematically teach Biblical Creationism to their children.

How Many Died in Noah’s Flood? (Jun 18)
Using population growth math with Biblical data, this article gives an estimate of the earth’s population at the time of Noah’s Flood. This was the 2nd-most viewed 2014 article with 2,787 reads. It’s the fourth of a series of five blogs on population growth beginning with Could Noah Fill the Earth?

Why Apologetics? (Oct 8)
Do you sometimes have nagging doubts about Christianity? Then apologetics has the answers for you. Apologetics is the defense of the Christian faith using evidence, reason, and logic. This is the first of three articles on Why, When, and How apologetics should be done. Apologetics Resources surveys recommended resources for apologetics.

Is Earth Young? (Oct 29)
Is the Earth Young? Or is it Old? For Biblical accuracy, which is the proper adjective?

Tree Accident (Nov 19)
This is a photo blog of an accident felling a huge tree and the Biblical lesson it brought to mind.

Exodus, the Movie (Dec 17) With video.
This is a comprehensive review of the Bible-inspired epic: Exodus: Gods & Kings – a movie about Moses taking on the power of the Egyptian empire to free a nation of Hebrew slaves.

Who Was the Manger Baby? (Dec 24) With videos.
There is one man of history whose titles far surpass all others. A look at the titles He earned will shed light on the Manger Baby‘s identity. How did He most often refer to Himself?

Two thousand years ago in Bethlehem in the land of Israel, a baby was born and placed in an animal feeding trough. By the standards of the day, his parents were undistinguished — a carpenter and a homemaker.

Yet the Manger Baby grew to be the most influential man of history. Who was He? A look at the titles He earned will shed light on the Manger Baby‘s identity.

Throughout the ages, leaders of nations have claimed many august titles. Military officers have earned numerous honors. Politicians have boasted strings of official titles. Scholars have accumulated multiple degrees.

But there is one man of history whose titles far surpass all others, both in quantity and quality. The titles ascribed to the Manger Baby include Prince of Peace, Second Adam, Lion of Judah, Son of God, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, Savior, Mighty God, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

This man is also rightly titled Creator and Sustainer: He undergirds all of science and nature, “for by Him all things were created, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16,17). The universe and all it contains would disintegrate apart from the moment-by-moment sustaining power of this man.

There is no mistaking the holder of so many titles. Jesus of Nazareth is the most titled man in history! There are over 300Names and Titles of Jesus in the Bible. Merely to read aloud all the titles of worth, dignity, and honor ascribed to Him in Scripture takes a full five minutes.

CHRIST

The most common title for Jesus in the New Testament is Christ (529 times), meaning Anointed One. It’s the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew title Messiah.

This title identifies One appointed by God Almighty to rescue humanity from sin. It was the most critical and most difficult task of history–a job nobody else could do.

The task was to pay the penalty for sin by dying as a sinless man in man’s stead. Had it not been accomplished, all would be destined for hell. The Resurrection was proof that Jesus successfully completed this mission (Acts 17:31).

LORD

A close second for the most common title is Lord, a title once reserved primarily for God the Father. This title recognizes Jesus’ authority over all creation. He will judge everyone at the end of time based on obedience to His Word (John 5:22,27; 12:48).

Jesus rarely used “Christ” or “Lord”. He referred to both when He asked the Pharisees how the Christ could be David’s son if David called Him Lord. This is the question that once and for all extinguished the Pharisees’ attempts to trap Him verbally, for “no one dared from that day on to ask Him another question.” (Matthew 22:41-46)

THE SON OF MAN

A distant third in frequency is the title The Son of Man. Yet from another perspective this title ranks #1, because The Son of Man is Jesus’ favorite designation for Himself.

“Son of Man” occurs 87 times in the Gospels. All were by Jesus except once when listeners equated “Son of Man” with “Christ” and asked who the Son of Man was (John 12:34).

The Son of Man is a perplexing title. What did Jesus intend to communicate by its use?

Yahweh called Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times to emphasize Ezekiel’s humanity. Certainly Jesus’ use includes reference to His own genuine humanness (John 1:14). But it was also a claim to something far more.

The title Son of Man comes from the prophet Daniel who saw a vision: “With the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. To Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

Daniel’s vision was of the court of heaven preparing to judge the world. The Son of Man was the Judge to whom all dominion, authority, and glory was given with an everlasting kingdom. When Jesus identified Himself as The Son of Man, He was claiming to be this divine person Daniel saw.

His hearers understood this, for His use of the title sometimes enraged them. If Jesus meant simply “I am human” by calling Himself The Son of Man, no one would have disputed such a claim or become angry over it, much less been driven to murderous rage.

Jesus always used the definite article with Son of Man, thereby indicating a specific person. He was The Son of Man from Daniel, not a son of man like Ezekiel.

As The Son of Man Jesus claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5). His hearers knew the Sabbath was instituted by the Almighty at Creation. They would have understood the Lord of the Sabbath was the One who created the Sabbath, namely Almighty God.

Six times in the Gospels Jesus specifically referenced Daniel’s Son of Man prophecy. In His trial before the Sanhedrin when the High Priest asked whether He was “the Christ, the Son of God,” Jesus replied from Daniel 7: “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64)

The reaction — tearing robes, “He blasphemes,” “He deserves death”, spitting in His face, beating and slapping Him — shows the High Priest and Sanhedrin understood His The Son of Man claim was a claim to Godship. That’s why they charged Him with blasphemy and condemned Him to death. (Matthew 26:65-67)

He who holds the universe togetherhumbled Himself to be born as a man.

Jesus’ many uses of “The Son of Man” reveal the full, multi-orbed understanding Jesus had of Himself, giving insight about how He understood His own identity and mission.

Why did Jesus refer to Himself almost exclusively as The Son of Man?

I think there are three main reasons. First, it reflected His awareness of being the Messiah when discussing His death and resurrection.

Second, Jesus came to redeem man as the representative of the human race, the Second Adam. He called Himself The Son of Man to convey profound identification with mankind.

Third, the title “The Son of Man” half-concealed as well as half-revealed who He was. Just as Jesus used parables to conceal truths from casual listeners but reveal them to true seekers (Matthew 13:10-17), so also He was circumspect about revealing His full identity.

The Son of Man, Creator of heaven and earth, the Lord Christ our Redeemer — this is the Manger Baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. He alone is worthy of devotion, obedience, and worship.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:4-11)